mysteriousvaultofsoulsfandomcom-20200214-history
The Hidden 1 Year War
On January 4, UC 0079, Zeon's prototype plasma cannon Jormungand is transferred from a Papua class supply ship to the supply ship Jotunheim. Engineering officer Lt. Oliver May works outside in a normal suit and wonders if space is confining. Captain Martin Prochnow orders a battle alert when two Earth Federation Salamis class ships approach and open fire. The Salamis ships destroy the Papua, and a Musai class ship returns fire and damages one of the Salamis ships. Chief Gunnery Officer Aleksandro Hemme calls Prochnow and wants to know why they aren't joining in the battle, and Prochnow says they're in the process of evacuating. Oliver comes to the bridge and says that the Jormungand can't be abandoned because it can change the course of the war. The Musai trades fire with the Salamis ships and destroys one of them, and it damages the other before it retreats. Prochnow orders the crew to finish loading the Jormungand search for survivors from the Papua. Later, Oliver arrives at the bridge to officially report for duty. Prochnow asks him if the Jormungand is so important that it was worth risking his ship, and he comments that he won't risk the ship for people he doesn't know. Special Operations Captain Monique Cadillac enters the bridge, followed by Lt. Hideto Washiya. She tells Prochnow that it was poor judgment on his part to not fight back and attempt to retreat without retrieving the Jormungand. She says that such risks must be taken for the sake of Zeon's independence. Oliver recalls meeting with Albert Schacht when he was assigned to the 603rd Technical Evaluation Unit. Schacht told Oliver the Jotunheim would have a strange crew compliment, including civilians, engineers and special ops officers. Later, Oliver, Monique and Prochnow watch the construction of the Jormungand in the hangar bay. Oliver shows them the specs and explains that the Jormungand has the power to destroy a Federation Magellan class ship in a single shot. Hemme looks at the specs and sees why the cargo was so important. The Jotunheim receives emergency orders to move out of the area due to special military operations. On the bridge, Oliver, Monique and Prochnow watch as a colony flies by, escorted by a fleet of Musais. Oliver asks what's going on, and Monique says that it's Operation British. She says it will fall on Earth in 72 hours, and he grabs her and asks how they could do that. She back flips him to the floor and says that it's a well-established tactic to start a war with a surprise attack. On January 15, Federation and Zeon fleets gather at the space near Side 5. The Jotunheim ejects the Jormungand pieces into space, and crews begin to assemble the cannon. A Gwazine class flagship sends a message, and first officer Ehrlich Kruger reports to Prochnow that the Jormungand will be the deciding factor in the battle. Prochnow sends a reply that he will wait for the fleet's firing instructions to show the power of the Jormungand. As the Minovsky particle density increases, the Federation fleet makes the first move and opens fire. On the Jormungand's gunnery station, Hemme wants to know why the firing instructions haven't arrived. As the fighting continues, several Musais are destroyed by the Federation. Hemme tells Prochnow that he can't wait for the fleet's data and will fire using long distance measurements. Hemme targets the Federation fleet and fires the Jormungand, barely missing a Salamis. He calls Prochnow again to find out what's happening, and Monique asks him to wait for the fleet's targeting data. Oliver and Washiya launch in an observation boat and head for the front to acquire targeting data for Hemme. The shuttle is overtaken by several squads of Zaku II mobile suits. A red Zaku piloted by Char Aznable stops in front of the shuttle and passes a coded message by flashing its monoeye. Char's message states that the rest of the battle will be handled by the mobile suit forces. The Zakus begin attacking the Federation fleet, and Char destroys several ships on his own. Monique considers the situation and realizes that they were just a decoy and that the plan from the start was to use mobile suits. The Jormungand is damaged by fire from the Federation fleet, and Hemme is critically injured. Prochnow orders all the gunnery officers to evacuate the Jormungand and return to the Jotunheim because a damaged Magellan is heading their way. Hemme says that it's too late for him to leave, and he also says that if the age of gunners is be ended by mobile suits, he wants to be the one to end it. Hemme fires and destroys the incoming Magellan. Two days later, Oliver writes his report about the Jormungand's performance at the Battle of Loum. He notes that the Jormungand destroyed one ship and that Hemme died in battle. He concludes that if the Jormungand had received as much support as the mobile suit forces, it would have had a greater impact on the battle. On April 29, a Zaku II piloted by Federico Czariano arrives at Zeon's 128th Supply Point in Arizona for ammunition. A soldier points out that Czariano's Zaku is covered in battle scars, and Czariano pulls out his gun. In space the Jotunheim and a fleet of Papua class ships enter Earth orbit for a supply drop to Zeon-occupied territories. Monique argues with technicians about following regulations for the supply drop, and Prochnow comments that Monique reminds him of his mother. The fleet then begins to drop its supply capsules. At headquarters, Schacht meets with Oliver and shows him the specs of the experimental battle tank Hildolfr. Schacht assigns Oliver to evaluating the Hildolfr on Earth, but Oliver notes that the Hildolfr was evaluated and rejected two years ago. Schacht then tells him to abandon the Hildolfr after the test is over. Oliver asks why they would do that, and Schacht says that the Earth invasion isn't going as well as it has been advertised to the public. Later, a Musai rendezvous with the Jotunheim to deliver the Hildolfr. Oliver looks at the Hildolfr and thinks to himself that the Zeon is deploying anything to the battlefield now, regardless of it being useful or not. Demeziere Sonnen, the assigned pilot for the Hildolfr, introduces himself to Oliver. He suddenly begins to tremble and pops pills from a small container. Sonnen goes over to the Hildolfr and says that eventually it will be mass produced for the complete dominance of Earth. Oliver says that the mission is just disguised as a test, but Sonnen counters that if the Hildolfr does well, headquarters should change its mind about the bad evaluation. Nearby, Washiya bugs Monique about piloting a Zaku, but she tells him he can't have it. Sonnen and Monique make eye contact and recognize each other before turning away. On the bridge, Monique outlines the plan: a Komusai will drop the Hildolfr on Earth at the 67th Supply Point in Arizona. Sonnen interrupts and says the Hildolfr will do well because engineers don't know anything about real battles. Monique says that Oliver will be monitoring the test while she's commanding, and Sonnen asks why it has to be her. Prochnow mentions that the 128th Supply Point was destroyed 10 days earlier. Sonnen figures it's just tanks that could make good test subjects, but Monique says there's no point having an evaluation if he's fighting weak enemies. On the Komusai, Oliver asks Monique if she knows Sonnen, but she tells him his powers of observation are weak. She says if a captain degrades he's still a captain, but if a soldier degrades he's worthless. During re-entry, she tells him that she admired Sonnen when he was an artillery training instructor. She says he didn't perform well on a mobile suit piloting test and has dwelled on that failure since then, becoming more like a living corpse. At the 67th Supply Point, Czariano asks a Zaku I pilot if they have ammunition he can use. The Komusai is attacked during re-entry and Czariano, a Federation pilot, destroys the Zaku. Suddenly an entire squad of captured Zakus and Type 61 battle tanks emerge from the desert and surround the 67th Supply Point. Sonnen guesses that they must be the ones who are destroying Zeon's supply bases. He asks Monique to drop him and the Hildolfr, but she refuses. He says the damaged Komusai has to lose some weight, and Oliver agrees. The Hildolfr is dropped from the Komusai and parachutes to the ground. The Komusai makes an emergency landing, and Sonnen surveys the area and spots six stolen Zakus. Oliver tells Sonnen to avoid enemy contact, but Sonnen says he'll be discovered soon and has to make the first strike. He quickly fires a shell and destroys one Zaku, while his next shot disables another. Oliver tells Sonnen that for the rest of the Zakus he'll have to adjust the firing program manually based on his own experience. The Federation pilots wonder what's going on, and Czariano tells them the enemy can only hit stationary targets. Based on the second shot, he thinks the firing adjustments haven't been completed, and he plans an ambush. The Zakus fire missiles at the Hildolfr and then rush toward it. Sonnen hits a Zaku with an explosive heat shell, and when it stops moving, he destroys it with a second shot. Czariano jumps in the air and opens fire, but he notices that the Hildolfr moves very quickly for such a big tank. He tells his men to destroy the Hildolfr's tracks, which they do. The Zakus move in for the kill, but Sonnen launches several smoke dispensers to camouflage himself. The upper part of the Hildolfr opens to reveal a mobile suit torso, and Sonnen attacks and destroys another Zaku. Sonnen destroys another Zaku with his machine gun and picks up its machine gun to attack a Type 61 tank. Another Zaku moves in and opens fire, but the Hildolfr is stuck on a Zaku arm and can't move. Sonnen fires his cannon at the ground and uses the recoil to break free. The Zaku continues its approach, but Sonnen fires a shot at point blank range and destroys it. Czariano then smacks the Hildolfr with his machine gun and tells Sonnen he was just lucky. Sonnen uses his stabilizing arms to knock Czariano away, but Czariano slams his rifle through the Hildolfr's head and fires a single round. The Hildolfr stops moving, and Czariano limps his damaged Zaku toward the Komusai to finish it off. Although mortally wounded, Sonnen fires one last shot and blows Czariano to pieces. Sonnen wonders if he can still fight and dies. Oliver says that even if soldiers degrade, they're not wild dogs, and Monique asks if they're any better than wild dogs when they die. Several days later, Oliver writes his report about the Hildolfr on the Jotunheim. He reports that Sonnen successfully destroyed six Zakus, and that the data obtained should overturn the previous rejection of the Hildolfr two years earlier. On October 24, a Ball squad launches from a Salamis to attack a group of unescorted Papuas. As they close in to attack, they come under fire from three experimental Zudah mobile suits, forcing them to retreat. A Zeon propaganda video congratulates the Federation for creating its own mobile suits, but it notes that those suits will pale in comparison to the technological superiority of the Zudah. The video states that the Zudah is undergoing final testing under the supervision of Major Jean Luc Duvall, a test pilot for Zimmad Corporation. After fighting off the Balls, Duvall, Washiya and the other Zudah pilot land inside the Jotunheim. On the bridge Prochnow laughs and says that winning without a fight is a great tactic. He thinks the army may finally be recognizing their abilities, and he has the Jotunheim set course to Side 3 for re-supply. At headquarters Oliver reports to Schacht that the test of the Zudah was a success. He says he didn't expect such a big public announcement for the Zudah, but Schacht explains it's simply propaganda. Schacht shows Oliver a map of Earth and says that the Federation is planning a massive assault on Odessa. He says that if Zeon lose that battle, Earth will be lost and their forces will eventually crumble. Oliver says the Zudah should be sent to the front lines, but Schacht notes that when the suit was labeled EMS-04 it fell apart during a test flight and proved inferior to the Zaku I. Oliver says that it's been improved since then, and because now it's the EMS-10, it's pretty much a different suit. He then says headquarters shouldn't use it for propaganda, and Schacht asks Oliver if he thinks headquarters would waste money on propaganda if they had the ability to change the war situation. Schacht then shows Oliver a video of a Zaku II being attacked by the Gundam. Later, a Musai opens fire on the Zudahs as part of a combat test. Duvall says he will rush in while Washiya and the other pilot cover him. As Duvall closes in, the other pilot decides to rush in and passes Duvall. His engine overloads and Oliver tells Duvall to warn him to stop. The out of control Zudah clips the Musai and begins to fall apart before finally exploding. In the Jotunheim's hangar, Washiya cries on the floor and asks why that had to happen. Oliver approaches Duvall and asks to speak to him alone. He notes that the Zudah broke apart during flight in the exact same was the EMS-04 version did four years ago. Duvall says he doesn't want to insult the dead, but he insists that the accident was caused by a novice pilot who didn't follow orders. Oliver asks if by that line of argument all novice pilots of Zudahs are seeking death. He then says he conducted his own investigation of the data and found that the acceleration limits of the EMS-04 and EMS-10 were the same. He asks what the difference between the two is and begins to imply that they're the same. Duvall grabs Oliver by the collar, but he lets him go when Monique pages them to come to the bridge. On the bridge the crew watches a Federation propaganda cartoon about the Zudah. The cartoon states that the EMS-04 lost to the Zaku I, and that the EMS-10 is just a renumbering of the original suit. The cartoon mocks the Zeon for marketing the EMS-10 as a new machine, and it concludes by stating that the battle at Odessa will end in a Federation victory. Just then the Jotunheim receives an emergency message from headquarters ordering all ships near Earth to enter orbit. Prochnow says that the Federation's announcement shows the truth about the Zudah, but now their priority is to rescue the soldiers escaping from Earth. Prochnow then tells Duvall that it's probably best to not use the Zudah anymore. Duvall wonders why the secret of the Zudah was leaked out because the propaganda war was highly classified. Now, he says, the Zudah will just become a ghost fighter. Monique calls him out for lying to them and then complaining about headquarters. Duvall then says that Zeonic Company must be behind it because they used dirty tricks four years ago when the Zudah went up against the Zaku. Duvall says the Zudah can't be defeated by a Zaku, and Monique says he's a fool. The Jotunheim then receives a distress call from the H.L.V.s stuck in Earth orbit. A squadron of Balls launch from a Salamis and begin to destroy the H.L.V.s. Several Zakus emerge from the H.L.V.s to fight back, but as ground use suits they can't maneuver properly in space and are easily destroyed by the Balls. Monique orders Duvall and Washiya to launch in their Zudahs. Oliver begins to criticize her decision, but she stops him when she says she'll go out in the spare Zudah. The three Zudahs launch and begin destroying the Balls. Duvall and Washiya take on the Balls while Monique helps a ground Zaku reach safety. At the same time a squad of GMs open fire on the Jotunheim. Duvall tells Monique and Washiya to continue the rescue efforts while he engages the GMs. Duvall surprises the GM squad and destroys two units. The four remaining pilots wonder what suit that is, but when they realize it's the Zudah, they start to laugh at Duvall. Duvall then flies around them and leads them away from the H.L.V.s. Oliver tells Monique to bring back Duvall and keep an eye on her engine, but she tells him she doesn't have time for that. Duvall pushes his engine to the limit, forcing the GMs to push themselves to the limit to keep up. One of the GMs falls back due to engine problems, but Monique destroys it. Duvall calls the Jotunheim and says that no matter how much he's yelled at, he won't feel disgraced. He says the Zudah is no longer a ghost fighter and was able to fight in a battle and prove it existed. Monique reaches her engine limit and shuts it down. The three remaining GMs overload and explode. Soon after, Duvall's Zudah breaks apart and explodes in the atmosphere. As the Jotunheim leaves orbit, the crew salutes Duvall. The next day, the Zeon formally announce the abandoning of Odessa. The Jotunheim receives orders to halt tests of the Zudah and keep the two remaining units for the ship's defenses. Prochnow thinks that they won't be able to escape the war now that they have suits of their own. As Oliver writes his report, he realizes that he doesn't know how he can express what he saw. Category:Gundam Category:OVA Category:Science Fiction